Urge Congressional leaders to appoint women to the special debt committee

Urge Congressional Leaders to appoint no fewer than six women to the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional committee charged with reviewing the United States’ budget and recommending a path forward, which is currently in formation.

To ensure the debt committee represents the true composition of America, which is at present 51 percent women, and to avert the risk-taking and gamesmanship that has characterized this process thus far, women legislators should hold at least half of the committee’s seats. The design of this committee calls for a fair, bipartisan negotiation, but recently, leaders in both the House and the Senate have indicated that their appointees will in no way cede ground to the opposing party. This overtly political approach deprives Congress of an opportunity to show citizens, and the world, that it can engage in constructive policymaking. Women legislators at the negotiating table will provide a voice for the countless Americans who will be affected by this process and reach out to colleagues across the aisle to make sure all sides are heard.

Join Rachel's Network (www.rachelsnetwork.org) in ensuring women have a seat at the decision-making table during this crucial discussion.

Letter to

U.S. CongressSpeaker John Boehner

U.S. CongressDemocratic Leader Nancy Pelosi

U.S. SenateMajority Leader Harry Reid

and 6 others

U.S. SenateRepublican Leader Mitch McConnell

RepresentativePaul Cook

SenatorMitch McConnell

SenatorHarry Reid

RepresentativeJohn Boehner

U.S. Senate

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Speaker John Boehner.

We urge you to appoint no fewer than six women to the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional committee charged with reviewing the United States’ budget and recommending a path forward, which is currently in formation.

To ensure the debt committee represents the true composition of America, which is at present 51 percent women, and to avert the risk-taking and gamesmanship that has characterized this process thus far, women legislators should hold at least half of the committee’s seats. The design of this committee calls for a fair, bipartisan negotiation, but recently, leaders in both the House and the Senate have indicated that their appointees will in no way cede ground to the opposing party. This overtly political approach deprives Congress of an opportunity to show citizens, and the world, that it can engage in constructive policymaking. Women legislators at the negotiating table will provide a voice for the countless Americans who will be affected by this process and reach out to colleagues across the aisle to make sure all sides are heard.

Time and time again, research and current events have proven that women are effective collaborators who avoid unnecessary risks and advance consensus-based solutions. (We are certain that Brooksley Born or Sheila Bair would agree.) Nonpartisan research from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University shows that when women are at the decision-making table, processes are less contentious, outcomes are fairer, and a broader spectrum of voices is heard.[1] Women legislators often take leadership on issues important to families and communities, such as health, education, and the environment.[2]

A recent Harvard study of “team intelligence” found that little correlation exists between the individual IQs of a group’s members and the group’s collective IQ, but if the group includes more women, the groups’ collective IQ rises.[3] Additionally, social psychologists have documented that when groups are predominately male, the group is more willing to take imprudent risks that jeopardize its long-term stability and growth.[4] In one of the most important Congressional debates in recent history, the outcome of which will affect every American, women should be represented equally.

Many in the media dismissively suggest that this committee has been set up to fail, but we maintain faith that our elected officials can define a new path forward for our nation. We urge Leadership to seize this opportunity to select Members who will engage in a full and fair debate over the daunting challenges facing the United States. Any other scenario will perpetuate the narrative that Congress is unable to tackle tough issues and unwilling to transcend partisanship for the benefit of the American public.

The reasons are ample and obvious; 90 women Members of Congress are eligible to serve. Six women legislators should be appointed to this committee, no fewer.

Sincerely,

[1] “The Difference Women Make,” The Center for American Women and Politics. http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/education_training/2012Project/TheDifferenceWomenMake.pdf